A weekend in Tarrytown

Our plans for last Friday had been the works for a few months. We were really excited that Brian Regan, one of Nelson's favorite comedians was going to be performing at the Tarrytown Music Hall. It was really great to be able to such a show without heading all the way to NYC. So we decided to head to Tarrytown early to ensure getting street parking without much hassle. Then we stopped at Santa Fe, a Mexican restaurant right next door to the music hall. It was an easy choice because we had wanted to try this restaurant for a while and due to the blistering wind, we wanted to the least amount of walking. The restaurant was so much bigger than it appeared from the outside and we were seated immediately. The complimentary nachos with salsa and a good bean dip was exactly the starter we were looking for. The menu offered typical Mexican fare and I ordered one of the seafood burrito special of the day. The portions were big (actually too big for me) and the food tasted great. Even though I was full, I got a peak of the dessert menu and ordered the coconut custard pie. That was delightful end to a nice meal with great service. Though the food was a little pricey for its kind, it's to be expected from a restaurant located in central Tarrytown.

Then we headed to the comedy show right next door. The theater was old as expected but maintained well. There were snacks drink sold up front and they were also announcing a relatively new wine & beer bar on the third floor. The seats were hard wood and took a few minutes of getting used to. We were there for the first show at 7pm and it was a sold out show. Brian Regan put on a great show. His brother, Dennis Regan who opened for him was as funny without any antics. It was really great for me to see Nelson roll over with uncontrollable laughter throughout the show.

Next day we were back in Tarrytown again, running some errands. We headed in to Chiboust for a late brunch. I had read some good reviews about the place but the delectable dessert counter really pulled us in. We left an hour and a half later after a three course meal. One favorite were the tastings of the corn fritters and the chicken liver pâté that we got as starters. There were lots of fresh greens as sides and the food seemed to prepared and served with attention to great detail. We couldn't resist having the flourless molten chocolate cake and the crème brulée as dessert. It was really cozy restaurant, a perfect place to enjoy a great Sunday brunch.

Shopping in White Plains

White Plains is one of the closest shopping areas accessible to us at Ossining. Our main destination is "The Westchester", one of the nicest malls in the area. It is quite spacious and has a good mix of high and low end brands as well as specialty stores. The ambience is calming and even during busy times, I've never felt the mall to be crowded. There is also plenty of seating area in the middle for idle husbands or tired kids. My only complaint about this mall is the food court which is rather basic. This could be the reason for the very long lines at P.F. Chang's one of the main restaurants at this mall.

The Galleria which is the other mall at stone's throw distance is the polar opposite. Most stores which are small in size are separate by narrow hallways thereby creating a packed atmosphere. Among the more regular franchises, this mall has a string of random clothes stores, all of which carry cheaper versions of Forever 21 type clothing. Our main reason for visiting The Galleria is to make a quick trip to Macy's as the department stores available at The Westchester are the more upscale Nordstroms, Nieman -Marcus and Barney's. Though I love shopping at The Westchester is it certainly convenient to have more affordable options close by.

Brothers: A disappointing watch

I was very excited for this movie. The previews set the bar high about a romantic triangle between the bothers (played Tobey McGuire & Jake Gylenhall) and Natalie Portman. I was disappointed to see that the all the key scenes of the movie were already seen on the previews. The only surprising fact was that we see the transformation of the soldier’s characters a result of being captured by Afghan terrorists. The two little girls who portray the daughters were absolutely adorable. Good acting by star studded cast tried to redeem the weak screen play and the lack of a good ending.

This time we avoided the crowds in White Plains by heading to the theaters at Mohegan Lake. On our way we had Thai food for dinner at Bangkok Spice at Shrub Oak. This place offers basic food at reasonable prices and seems more suited for the lunch time.

Sporting NYC

I've always said NYC is a tale of two cities, depending on what season it is. During the summer there is a ton to do, and many things to randomly discover while strolling from one place to the next. However, the Winter is all about hustling from one place to the next, and finding something cozy to do (or eat) indoors. An event at Madison Square Garden qualifies, and the long Thanksgiving weekend was punctuated by an evening trip to the city to see a hockey game at MSG. Beforehand we hit some Mexican food with some friends near Times Square. Of course, being near such a tourist trap meant the food at Toloache was pretty expensive, but wow it was quite good! Afterwards we headed to MSG to root for Cornell against BU in their annual hockey clash.

MSG is a pretty cool place to see a game, and it was great to get into the old Cornell chants. Shouting "RED!" during the national anthem has been programed into me for a few years now! Cornell dominated the scoring early, and it was great to stick it to the BU fans after a power-play goal made the score 3-1. However, many mistakes and a couple of fluke goals by BU ended the game in a 3-3 tie. OH well.....

On the way back to Grand Central for our train (not touching NYC traffic during holiday season!), we noticed a new installation in Bryant Park. It's a free skating rink and craft village, similar to the craft village near Columbus Circle this time of year. There were a lot of people there, and it was pretty cool to see something new to do in the Winter in NYC (though pretty corporate looking). I guess Winter still does hold some surprises in the city!